H.E. Mr. Issa Bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi, Chairman of QTA inaugurated the seventh edition of the Heya Arabian Fashion Exhibition, Qatar’s leading women fashion event organized by Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), in cooperation with Design Creationz. The Heya Arabian Fashion Exhibition is set to take place between the 10th and 15th of June at the Doha Exhibition Center and will open its doors between 13:00 and 22:00 for women only. On Friday the 12th the exhibition will be open for women and spouses.
The Grand Opening ceremony was attended by a line up of officials, dignitaries, VIP guests, affluent designers from across the region and media representatives who gathered to take part in the much-anticipated event. The opening was marked by the symbolic turning of a handcrafted sand timer filled with precious stones, specially designed for this occasion. This unique and iconic inauguration falls in line with the Arabian Desert theme dominating this year’s Heya Arabian Fashion Exhibition.
The 7,500-sqm halls in the Doha Exhibition Center have been transformed into an artistic space covered in golden sand-like carpets inspired by Arabian scenes. The boutique stands are drawn up with Mashrabiya designs with a dominant influence of traditional oriental architecture.
The opening ceremony featured an exclusive fashion show by Debaj, a prominent Qatari luxury brand and Omaymah Azzouz an up and rising Saudi designer. The designers revealed their latest Ramadan collection of abayas and jalabiyas on a 22meters desert themed catwalk.
Set as the region’s largest Arabian fashion exhibition, the seventh edition of Heya Arabian Fashion Exhibition is expected to welcome more than 30,000 visitors from Qatar and across the region. The event is featuring 337 fashion brands, with the largest participation coming from Qatar with 104 designers, in addition to 44 designers coming from UAE, 35 designers from Saudi Arabia, 56 designers from Bahrain, 53 designers from Kuwait and 1 designer coming from Oman.
Heya Exhibition is part of QTA’s plan to increase the number of visitor in Qatar by 20 % in the coming five years. The Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions sector (MICE) constitutes a crucial part of the growing tourism industry in Qatar and benefits of the full support of QTA.
“The 7th edition of Heya Arabian Fashion Exhibition is a quantum leap this year, as a major competition was organized to select a private sector bidder to be an organizing partner, a competition that was won by Design Creationz. The unique, powerful, and world-class regional exhibition is an example of how QTA and the private sector are working together to organize outstanding activities and events that position Qatar as a leading tourism destination”, said Mr. Hamad Al Abdan, Director of Exhibitions at Qatar Tourism Authority.
“Through events such as Heya Exhibition, the conference and exhibitions sector has the potential to attract a significant number of tourists and visitors from Qatar, the region and beyond. A thriving MICE sector contributes to the long term sustainable development of the tourism and hospitability infrastructure”, he added.
In an effort to increase the participation of mid-market and niche brands, the seventh edition of Heya Arabian Fashion Exhibition has introduced different categories of boutique spaces ranking form Silver to Platinum. This year’s edition of Heya includes customized boutiques, among which 51 Platinum, 103 Gold, 129 Silver and 54 Shell Scheme.
“Design Creationz is proud to partner with QTA to help rebrand the seventh edition of the exhibition and to transform it into a world-class fashion destination. It is through great initiatives such as Heya Arabian Fashion Exhibition that emerging designers can grow and excel. Design Creationz is committed to help create opportunities for the female designers and entrepreneurs in Qatar and the GCC region”, said Michelle Demenjon, Operational GM of Design Creationz.
The exhibition will also feature two exclusive fashion shows each day during the 6 days of the event. For the coming 4 days the themes for the fashion shows will be “Desert Wind Night”, “Desert Rose Night”, “Desert Dune Night” and “1001 Nights”.
This year’s Heya Arabian Fashion Exhibition will host three social zones with coffee shops by Pierre Hermes Paris, W Cafe and Katara Halls, welcoming visitor and designers to rest and socialize.
